


Brothers to the End

by SilverNight88



Series: Marvel One-Shots [4]
Category: Invaders (Marvel), Marvel (Comics), Marvel 616
Genre: Bonding, Brotherhood, Brotherly Bonding, Brotherly Love, Comrades in Arms, Emotional Hurt, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family Bonding, Family Feels, Gen, Nazis, Past Character Death, Past Child Abuse, Past hurt, Team Bonding, World War II
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-24
Updated: 2017-10-24
Packaged: 2019-01-22 10:55:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12479968
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverNight88/pseuds/SilverNight88
Summary: Marvel One-Shots is a series of stories in the Marvel universe. Each is a separate story and may be one or more chapters.Steve Rogers, Jim Hammond, and Namor Mckenzie are on a mission that goes very wrong. Trapped they try to find their way out of the darkness revealing past trauma that shaped them into the men they are today. Sometimes family isn't just blood but the bonds of friendship that you make along the way.(This takes place at the beginning of the Invaders era of WWII)





	Brothers to the End

** Brothers to the End **

**JIM**

Jim Hammond loved to fly. He supposed it was the greatest feeling in the world. To be free to soar so high that the world fell below you like a giant play board and all the people were just pieces that moved around on their own.

Like him.

Machines that continued with their function assigned to their daily tasks.

He sighed.

He knew he shouldn’t give into those thoughts but it was hard to be upbeat when his little buddy Toro wasn’t there. Toro and Bucky were supposed to meet them at a rendezvous point behind enemy lines but the two had sent word they were caught up helping some allied soldiers get back to their side for treatment. Not everything in the war was fighting there was a lot of moving people around, those who were hurt got sent back for treatment. Those who died and their bodies were recovered had to be sent back for their loved ones to mourn and bury.

Damn Jim needed a fight.

To keep his mind off of brooding which was more of Namor’s thing anyway. The annoying water rat had brooding down like an art. Thoughts of the half-human half- Atlantean had him almost missing the surly sea prince.

Almost.

 Jim could do without the constant bickering that seemed to occur when he and Namor got close to one another.

The Invaders were somewhere on the borderlands of Romania, and the Ukraine, just southeast of Poland. The Carpathian mountain range was their only landmark in a forest of trees.

He spotted Steve down in a tree line that was close to the mountains and he dove down until he was close to where Steve was. Jim was careful not to set the leaves ablaze as he landed and greeted his team leader noticing that their other team mate was absent.

“Namor will be along soon, he had to take a dip in the lake nearby.”

Jim nodded his head at Steve’s answer to his unspoken question. Steve was young but not as young as Jim who was born? created? a few years ago, but they looked the same in age. They continued along the path Steve had set out for them to get to the base that they were going to sabotage.

The forest was just a bit too quiet for Jim’s tastes, he missed the busy city and its streets full of cars and people all making their own noises that blended together.

“I thought he only liked sea water?”

“Namor said that he preferred it but the freshwater would have to do. We need to be at our best game to win this one.”

“Ah yes the covert mission. To be honest with you Steve I think that this is more Bucky’s thing. He can get past those Nazi rats better than a man wearing a flag, a burning man, and Namor.”

“You won’t hear an argument from me but we have to do this. I don’t like our odds. Too many variables and we are outnumbered. We can’t let that shipment of weapons reach the front.”

 _Or there will be more dead bodies to send back home_ were the unspoken words that Steve left hanging in the air.

Jim looked over Steve, the man the world had dubbed Captain America had brilliant blue eyes that shone with the underlying fire of his spirit. Jim never wanted to be on the disapproving side of those eyes. His blond hair was a touch darker than Jim’s but today it was covered by his cowl. Their skin tone was of a similar shade and Jim often like to think that their coloring made them look like brothers… no more like cousins since their facial features weren’t exactly similar.

He often liked to play this game in his head when he saw people who looked like him.

A young lady walking down the street in a nice dress might be a little sister.

An elderly couple browsing a shop with kind smiles may have been his grandparents.

A man who was reading a newspaper in a café might be his father-

He shook his head to clear those thoughts as he kept pace with Steve. He liked it when his friend Toro was around it was easier to keep his mind on the present. The forest was quiet and the cold snow crunched underfoot.

 Jim never told anyone about his game because how could they understand? Jim didn’t have a real family. He was created and Steve was born. He wasn’t born a super solider but he was born a human. The super solider thing came later. The only similarity they had was that the men they both were now had been made or changed in a lab.

Now Jim wasn’t sure if it was his own apprehension but he could feel some hesitation from Steve. Like a bad feeling in the gut that Bucky always talked right before they dove headfirst into a trap.

Steve hadn’t been a leader for long but Jim had been around long enough to know real leaders and those pretending to be leaders, Steve was the former; he just needed time. Time to grow into his own and know without any doubt that he could lead. The two Invaders walked side by side in silence, ears out for any sound so it wasn’t a surprise when Namor landed in front of them with his arms crossed and still dripping wet from his swim in the lake.

While Jim and Steve might pass as cousins or even brothers due to their similar coloring, there was no way that Namor would. Namor had the blackest hair Jim had ever seen on anyone though sometimes in the sunlight it had a reddish tint; it matched his arched eyebrows and reflected his expression. It seemed the swim hadn’t done anything to quell the argument that had started before Jim went up to do a quick aerial reconnaissance to make sure that no planes were nearby and that they were on the right track.

“I still think that we should simply attack head on.”

Namor stated in his princely voice, it had a foreign tint to it since English was not Namor’s first language. The arrogance irritated Jim’s ears, maybe it was the years he was working as a cop but he felt more comfortable with Steve’s voice. It had the soothing sounds of New York which Jim had come to think of as his home.

“We already talked about this Namor. This is the smarter way. We don’t want to be caught with our pants down trying to dismantle the weapons and get attacked.”

“You can keep your pants where they are Captain. I will go ahead and fight them rather than sulk like a coward in the shadows.”

“Hey watch who you’re calling a coward water rat!” Jim was angry, or Namor’s anger rubbed off on him either way Steve didn’t deserve that kind of talk.

“I call it as I see it firebug!” Namor whirled around his ankle wings fluttering from his sudden movement. A thunderous expression on his face. “I am a prince of the blood and I do not hide behind a shield and proclaim it is the better way.”

“Namor calm down!” Steve ordered as he touched the shield that was strapped to his back just over his military pack. A self-conscious gesture Jim noted and that made him even angrier at the Atlantean. He had seen enough of Steve’s actions to understand what kind of man he was. Jim formed a flaming fireball in his hand and narrowed his gaze at Namor.

“Apologize to the Captain.”

“Jim. There is no need for that.” Steve said trying to contain the situation that had already spiraled out of control the minute Namor’s eyes landed upon Jim’s lit hand.

“You would dare to threaten me? I am the Avenging Son. Prince of Atlantis!”

“NAMOR! JIM!”

Too late.

Jim hurled his fire ball at Namor who leapt out of the way and it hit a tree, the flames slowly creeping upward. However before Jim could completely flame on Namor tackled him into the snow so hard that they began kicked up dirt and then delivered a series of punches to him that would have knocked out a lesser man. Or a human man at least.

Ignoring Steve Jim pushed back but it was tough because Namor was a strong bastard. His body was built for bracing ocean waves far more powerful than Jim but the Human Torch got just enough space to flame on without hurting Namor. He didn’t want him burned, he knew what fire did to a person, and he just wanted to make his point.

Namor leapt back and but before he could do anything more Steve stepped between then and said in a voice that carried disappointment and anger, “Are you two finished? Or are you still trying to defend my honor Jim?”

“He shouldn’t say that. You aren’t a coward.” Jim shot back his body still aflame with anger.

But before either Steve or Namor could reply a loud whistling sound was heard and Steve yelled, “Take cover!”

All three men dove in opposite directions but Jim picked the wrong one and the bomb that had been released just moments ago hit its mark just beside him throwing him into a tree. A fire started because he was still flamed on and the tree began to burn from the flames that coated Jim’s body.

Jim could hear a ringing sound in his ears and he felt disoriented.

“Up firebug!” came Namor’s voice it sounded as though it was very far away but when Jim opened his eyes Namor was right in front of him with Steve.

“Turn off the flames Jim, we can’t touch you and you’re giving away our position.”

Jim was dazed but he understood Steve’s muffled words. The flames disappeared and both Invaders grabbed Jim by the arms and dragged him up. They half dragged half carried him to the base of the mountains and began running back the way they came.

“I saw a cave entrance just behind us a few miles back if we can get there and fortify it then we have a chance.”

“We need to fight them! Not run away!”

 _Namor’s answer was always to fight_ Jim thought as he groaned in pain, his ears still had a ringing sound but he could hear the argument coming from both sides of him.

“Damn it Namor just trust me on this!”

Suddenly blackness consumed his vision and Jim heard no more.

*****

**STEVE**

He had wanted to carry Jim by himself but for some reason Namor wouldn’t let him go. Instead they both supported his weight and ran over the snow covered ground. The forest was no longer silent, it rang with the sound of bombs dropping. Steve knew he shouldn’t have sent Jim up to check if they were going in the right direction. But Steve was unsure and they had lost their compass a while back when Bucky decided he needed to chuck it at the head of the last Nazi they fought to make him ‘see they were following a lunatic’. Steve had appreciated the humor then but now he would rather have his compass back.

Earlier Jim had checked for planes and assured him that none were near them. Steve believed him but he didn’t think about the fact that if he could see Jim from the ground then others could too. The flaming android wasn’t exactly covert. Jim was right this sort of thing was more Bucky’s trade. He began to wonder just how he had gotten into this mess, his mind wandering.

_My sunshine boy, still dreaming? It’s time to wake up._

Sarah.

His mother’s voice faded just as quickly as it came, that soft sighing song that reminded him of a warm hug on a cold night.

Awareness of his surroundings came crashing back and Steve pulled himself out of his thoughts as he heard a shout.

“Firebug?! Jim!”

Namor’s voice cut through Steve’s mind when Namor realized that Jim was out like a light. Steve was worried and kicking himself over his stupid decisions but he had no time for that. Doubts plagued Steve but right now he had a man down and he wasn’t losing Namor too.

“He’ll be fine Namor! There the cave entrance!”

It was just steps away and Steve heard the sickly sound of whistling again the plane must have turned around and sighted their movement through the trees, his instincts screamed at him to look for the danger and run from it but he pushed his mind to make his feet run into the cave knowing that hesitation could get them killed. The trio of men had barely passed the small opening when the bomb struck the side of the mountain and caused an explosion.

Rocks rained down and soon covered the small entrance. Now Steve lay in the pitch black his chest heaving with his heavy breathing as he tried to turn off his flight or fight emotions. The darkness was so complete that he couldn’t see his hand in front of his face and when he turned over onto his back he was relieved to feel the weight of the shield was still there. He was afraid of losing it one day that shield was a part him now.

“Captain?”

Namor’s voice came to him as Steve slowly sat up. Making sure that nothing was broken. Sometimes soldiers didn’t know how badly they were injured when they were fighting and it was only after the fighting stopped that they understood the full depth of their pain. Moving slowly was a good way to check that each part of his body was in good shape.

“I’m here.”

“Jim is still out.”

Namor’s voice was subdued now and not angry like it was before. Steve heard a rustling, then the sound of bare feet against a rocky floor.

“Namor? What are you doing?”

“I’m at the entrance and trying to determine if we can reopen it.”

The sound of grunting and rocks being shifted made him turn his head in the right direction of the cave’s entrance. It was so black that soon Steve was getting disorientated.

“You can see?”

“My eyes are equipped to see in the blackest of water Captain. This is no different.”

Then a sound of rumbling made Namor stop. More sound of footsteps and then the feeling that someone was next to him made him reach out. His hand was caught by Namor’s who helped him to stand.

“You move the rocks and we might get crushed by any loose ones. We don’t know how much the damage there is.”

“Yes I had figured that out.” Came Namor’s dry reply.

Steve wanted to kick himself again. Had he ever felt more inadequate to be a leader? Namor was a prince, raised to rule over people. Steve figured that was why Namor had a hard time following his directions.

“Well,’ Steve added, “We probably don’t want to go out that way anyways. The Germans who fired at us might be on their way, us wasting time trying to shift rocks in the dark might only lead to getting caught or killed the second we give them a wide enough opening.”

Namor’s slight grunt of agreement was more than what Steve was expecting from the surly sea prince. He was glad he didn’t have another fight on his hands and wished that he and Namor could bridge this gap between them. He and Jim had no problem, maybe because Jim came from New York like he did, even if he was only born…created a few years ago.

Then as if Steve’s thoughts conjured him up Jim exploded in flames as he sat up wildly, the sudden brightness caused Steve to quickly shut his eyes to protect them. Jim yells were indiscernible, but Namor yelled louder at him to be heard then began speaking slowly to the flaming man.

“Firebug! We are here! Calm yourself or you will hurt the Captain. I also do not wish become ashes in this cave. It is not a fitting end for a prince of the blood.”

Steve wasn’t sure if it was Namor’s words or tone of voice that made Jim put out his flames but he could feel the heat disappear from his face and he opened his eyes, now Jim was only slightly aflame just enough to give him a glow and illuminate his surroundings. As Namor went to help him up Steve studied the cave it looked like a dead end and he was upset that they might have to go back and try the entrance again.

“Where- where are we?”

Jim’s voice sounded shaken and his face was pale, too pale. Steve looked him over and said, “Sit down Jim you’ve got a nasty wound. Shrapnel from the bomb probably.”

Namor helped Jim to sit on a few large boulders and Steve took off his pack. He pulled out some bandages and asked Jim to only light up a hand. Jim silently followed Steve’s orders and from the way the android was acting Steve was worried that he might be shell shocked as well. He made sure to go slow and he wrapped Jim’s side, not bothering to cut away the shirt since Jim was an android, he wouldn’t get sick from any bacteria, the important thing was to make sure his synthetic blood wasn’t leaking.

“Will Jim be good to walk Captain? After all it would be a hassle to have to drag his useless form around.”

Steve wanted to punch Namor’s face in for that comment but he only reason he didn’t was that he saw the way Namor hovered at Jim’s side. They all had their defense mechanisms to help them cope with stress and Steve was beginning to understand that this was Namor’s.

“He’ll be fine, if we can get to the weapons base I’m sure they will have supplies that we can use to patch him up. But he won’t have to walk anywhere since we need to take down the rocks.”

Namor argued with him that it was pointless and his last comment was, “Rogers I can hear water further in.”

Namor’s certainty made Steve doubt himself.

“Even if we could get further in it may take the mountain down if you try and make a new doorway.” Steve said.

“We could go further into the mountain.”

“DAMN IT NAMOR. Do you always have to fight?!”

Jim’s sudden outburst was not at all like the man and Steve noticed his flame growing dimmer.

“You have to turn it off Jim; you’re in no condition to use your abilities.”

“I- I can’t... then we’ll be in the dark and I… we won’t see.”

“Namor can see.”

“No. No. The dark...” Jim’s mouth shut and he lips thinned from the force. Steve didn’t know what was going on but he didn’t push it. Instead he took off his cowl and looking around he spotted a large bone fragment that may have belong to a deer or other wild creature. Something must have used this cave for a time, but it was empty now. He pulled out some grease from his pack, he was a strong believer in being prepared, and set about make a makeshift torch.

“Here light this Jim.”

“No Steve that’s your mask, your cowl, you need it.”

Now Jim stood, Steve wanted to help him but a man had his pride, and it seems like Jim’s had taken a bad hit lately.

Steve gave him a reassuring smile and said, “After Bucky found out about me I took to carrying an extra outfit around so I could change anywhere I needed to. So no one could walk in on me again. Bucky wouldn’t be pleased if I accidently got another sidekick.”

Jim laughed it wasn’t a big laugh but it was there. He lit the torch and said, “Bucky would be mad that you called him a sidekick.” He dimmed himself and the only light source came from the flaming cowl that Steve held aloft.

They chuckled together but Namor’s displeasure was made known when he interjected with, “Now that you two are done making jokes may we please move on. I don’t want to spend anymore time than I have to in this Neptune forsaken hole in the ground.”

Both Invaders turned to find only Namor’s head peeking out from a rock, his pointed ears almost made him look comical. Their startled faces made Namor grin, Steve had seen a picture of shark once, they had the same smile. They walked around to find that the dead end cave actually had a small passage that led deeper into the mountain, there was more evidence that a large animal had lived here once.

Namor led the way so that his night sensitive eyes wouldn’t be hindered by the light and Steve gestured for Jim to go next but the android shook his head and so Steve went second. He kept glancing back to check on Jim. The android had his eyes on the torch in Steve’s hand.

The cave was narrow and all three men had to stoop slightly to make it through. Steve wanted to question Namor again but after Jim’s outburst and Namor proving him wrong he didn’t want to look more stupid than he already felt.

The sides of the cave scraped as Steve’s shield brushed alongside it. That was the only sound he heard for a while, just the footsteps of his comrades and the scrape scrape scrape of the shield. After what felt like hours but was probably closer to a half hour or so the tight tunnel finally opened up and now Steve could hear the sound of water as well.

It was still pitch black but by the small illumination from the light Steve was able to make out a small cavern and water was trickling down into a small pool. The ceiling of the cavern was actually quite tall but it was another dead end with no way out.

Steve sighed, just how had he led his team here and what kind of leader was he? Now countless lives as well as their own would be forfeit since he couldn’t complete their mission. _Sunshine boy, don’t you go borrowing trouble. It will find you on its own soon enough._

His mother voice came back to him. God how he missed her. He closed his eyes for a second and when he opened them Namor was looking at him. No just past him at Jim who was now leaning against the cavern wall and slowly sinking down into a sitting position.

Steve couldn’t do more for Jim until they were out of here he turned back to Namor. He was taken back to see worry on the Atlanteans face. When Namor saw that Steve was looking at him his usual expression of boredom and indifference fell into place.

Steve cleared his throat and said softly to Namor so that Jim wouldn’t overhear and feel disheartened, “We have to go back. There is no way out of here. Maybe the Nazi’s tried to open the cave entrance and left, then we’ll have an easier time getting out.”

“We could try that Captain but with all due respect I have to ask… where do you think the water is coming from?”

Steve took a closer look and saw that it came from a jutting of rocks close to the ceiling but it was not a hard stream of water rather more like a forceful trickle.

Namor continued, “The walls are not wet which means it can’t be an underground river that is in the cave system which leaves me to believe that this water is coming from the lake that I swam in earlier, perhaps an extra run off that forms and runs down here. So if it’s coming from the outside…”

“Then that means there is an opening up there but its sheer rock and I don’t have the tools to find the opening.”

Namor nodded his approval at Steve’s thoughts then said, “I will be the tool. I can fly up and slowly shift the rocks, that way we don’t risk a cave in and once we have an opening I can fly you both up and out.”

Steve was impressed usually Namor just wanted something to hit but moments like these reminded Steve that he was a royal prince who had been trained from birth to take control and fix problems. _Maybe he should just let Namor led the Invaders._ Instead of saying that fleeting thought he just nodded and said, “I’ll watch over Jim since I can’t help you.”

Namor took that as the sign to begin and Steve held the torch up as he watched Namor ascend, the Atlanteans tiny ankle wings fluttered. They reminded Steve of a humming birds wings the way they helped him hover over by the small waterfall. Namor began to move small rocks, crushing larger once under his strong fingers before tossing them off to the side of the cavern away from Steve and Jim.

Steve went back to where the android was sitting and saw that Jim’s eyes were not closed, just intensely staring at the small flame. He sat down next to the him and handed over the torch. Jim took it eagerly and Steve just removed his pack and shield to place them next to him.

A soldier always took rest when he could.

“I’m sorry.”

Jim’s voice wasn’t quiet but he wasn’t shouting either.

“What do you have to be sorry for? It’s my fault we are in this mess.”

“No Steve you’re too hard on yourself. I’ve seen you; you were made for this stuff. To lead, to have a mission, it’s a part of you.”

Steve listened to Jim, he felt a kind of relief at this reassurance but he had to be honest with Jim.

His voice was quiet yet it still echoed in the empty cavern; Namor’s work was a steady rhythm of break and toss as he concentrated on making the opening wider.

“I was made this way you know. The serum-”

“The serum gave you the means to do what your spirit wanted to do all along. You can’t credit that thing for what you accomplish.”

“I’m nothing without it. Namor is better to lead. He is a prince-“

“Prince of brooding maybe, and surly looks and bad manners.” Jim chuckled, “You need to believe in yourself more Steve.”

Steve gave Jim a weak smile.

“What about you?”

“What do you mean?” Jim was apprehensive but Steve wanted to help him and talking seemed to be working.

“You’re someone without your abilities too you know. You’re not just the Human Torch.”

“I am the synthetic man, not a real human.”

“Jim you’re more human than those Nazi bastards out there.”

“My father-”

Jim cut himself off and then cleared his throat finally looking away from the fire to stare into the darkness.

“The professor who created me, Professor Horton, he made me. I wasn’t born like you and Namor.”

Steve heard the underlying pain in the word father. It brought back the pain of his own father. He couldn’t sit still so he pulled over his shield and took a rag out of his pack and began to polish a shield that already gleamed in the meager firelight. A few moments passed and Steve finally had the courage to speak though he had to clear his throat a few times to get the words out. He never really talked to anyone about this.

“My own father was a bastard. A cruel, unkind, selfish drunk. He used to beat my mother. I hated him and the best thing that man did was drink himself to death when I was six years old.”

Steve could feel Jim’s gaze on him and he kept wiping with a soothing circular motion that now became his habit when he felt upset.

“I- I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. It’s not your fault. What did your father do to you?”

“He… he wasn’t my father but he created me you know so I guess I could call him creator… or father. When he showed me off to the world he found that I was dangerous so he put me away. In the dark. He kept me in a concrete block. There was no light, no fire, nothing but the black. It was so dark that sometimes I wondered if I was really alive or if I imagined the whole thing. Imagined people, imagined my father, maybe I had always been in the dark. I hated it and when I sleep now I’m afraid that when I open my eyes again I’ll be back there in that pit of nothingness.”

Steve nodded to show Jim he heard him and made a low encouraging sound in his throat before speaking again, “Hating your father is not a bad thing, just don’t let it consume you. I was so full of anger at my own; I wanted to protect my mother from him so badly. I couldn’t protect her from the biggest bully in our lives. I guess that’s another reason why I joined the super solider program. To protect people from bullies.”

“Do you still hate him?”

“No… I just feel sad. I forgave him a long time ago. He was who he was but still I always had that feeling that thought, what if? What if he was different? It doesn’t do me any good but hate your father if you want Jim, just leave him behind or you will always have it weighing you down.”

Jim’s eyes shone with synthetic tears and they slowly ran down his face. Steve had been holding his own back since he first spoke about Joseph Rogers. His face burned with angry heat when the memories of how his mother used to stand up to his father played in his mind again. He had been missing her more than usual lately but then again didn’t everyone miss their mother, no matter how much time had passed since her untimely death. He used the rag he was holding to wipe them away then without speaking handed it over to Jim who shook his head and just used the back of his arm to clear his face.

God. Steve felt horrible. He wasn’t used to just talking about his emotions, everything that society taught him as a young boy was to shove all those feelings away and laugh about it, but he felt that if he did that now then it would hurt Jim so instead he put down his shield and rag and moved closer to the android. Slowly he reached one arm around Jim’s shoulders to clutch him against his body in a tight grip that was still loose enough to let Jim break free if he wanted.

Jim’s head was against Steve’s shoulder and he didn’t move but he cried more now, his tears glinted in the firelight and his voice was breaking now in between the sobs Steve heard, “I- I guess that - that I just feel like one day… if I don’t anchor myself to something then I might slip back. Slip back into that horrible darkness and just disappear forever.”

*****

**NAMOR**

Namor had been listening to the two men talk, and it surprised him. In his own culture there wasn’t a lot of talking about feelings. In Atlantis actions counted more than words. Still when he heard Jim’s broken words and Steve trying to reassure him he felt something inside him shift. He was good at hiding what he felt, but he couldn’t let them go through this alone so he finished working and flew to land beside them.

“You won’t Jim. We won’t let you fall into the abyss.” Namor’s voice startled Steve and Jim into looking up and they had been so engrossed in their conversation that they hadn’t noticed the prince had joined them. It was more shocking that Namor had expressed his feelings so plainly. The Atlantean didn’t elaborate further instead he sat down so that he faced them. He didn’t sit cross legged like Steve or with both legs outstretched like Jim. He sat with his arms wrapped around his knees so that no pressure was put on his ankle wings. His knees drawn up to his chest and he looked both Jim and Steve in the eyes before speaking.

“Well since you two are relating which had the worse father I suppose it was a blessing that my own people killed my father before he even knew that I was conceived. At least that way I didn’t have to put up with both him and my grandfather. One was more than enough.”

Jim let out a shaky laugh at Namor’s dry tone. The words weren’t funny but they way that Namor said it made Steve crack a smile. Namor’s lips twitched but no laughter touched his glacial grey-blue eyes.

“My grandfather ignored me. So I suppose that I have it luckier than you two, rather than beatings and being locked away I was simply invisible to him and many of my people. I am the strange thing that swims with them, which my mother Princess Fen brought home. Every achievement I did my mother tried to show her father just how special she thought I was and he would scoff and belittle it. Yet when I grew stronger, faster, and more durable than any other he finally began to see my worth… as a weapon of Atlantis.”

“What happened to make him think that?” Jim was captivated by Namor’s story as was Steve.

“I was out exploring with some playmates when I forgot my favorite knife on the deck of a sunken ship. I went back to retrieve it but these creatures were there, they looked like mechanical men. I thought the surface men had returned to hurt Atlantis as they did years before. So I defended my home and killed the intruders. I brought their bodies back to show my grandfather and he was pleased when it was revealed that the men in the strange suits were actually humans. He praised my bravery and declared that I was the might of Atlantis, an Avenging Son at last. I felt sick inside. I didn’t know they were just men. I didn’t tell him or my mother who was happy that finally her father could see my worth. So King Thakorr sent me out here to die. If I can take down the enemies of Atlantis before I do so then my grandfather will be pleased. Either way, my death or my victory he will have counted it a win in his book.”

Namor had finally fallen silent. It seemed like the young prince had waited an eternity to talk about it. Steve spoke up, trying to draw Namor out of his dark mood.

“It sounds like your grandfather is a royal ass.”

Namor’s pointed ears twitched and he began to chuckle it was slow at first then it turned into a full bellied roar of laughter. Jim and Steve were both surprised since they had never heard him laugh like that; usually he just had a howl of laughter when he was cracking Nazi heads together. Namor shook and tears streamed down his face and it made both Steve and Jim join in, how long they laughed for none of them could tell but when they finally quieted down they all felt like a weight had been lifted off of their backs.

“Maybe your father was a good man?” Steve replied as Jim began to pull himself together and leaned away from Steve’s hug.

Namor saw that Steve didn’t look at Jim and he followed his direction engaging in the small talk. A man had his pride after all, and even though he had been crying openly earlier it didn’t mean that Jim wasn’t embarrassed by it and the android was given some privacy to scrub his face and compose himself.

“Maybe one day I shall find out. Maybe track down his family if there are any left. However I do not think so. My grandfather has plans for me back in Atlantis once this war is finished.”

Steve began to put his shield away and asked, “Do you really think this war is going to end?”

“All wars end Rogers. It is just a matter of time and when it does we will look back and wonder if all the bloodshed could have been avoided.”

“Sometimes it can’t be avoided not when you have to stand up and fight for what’s right. No one ever said that the right path was an easy one.”

Namor titled his head in agreement then Jim asked him about the exit that he was working on.

“I have widened the opening enough for us to squeeze through Firebug. This part of the mountain seems stable after the blasts. I will fly Steve up first and then you.”

Steve nodded and stood so that Namor could grasp him under the shoulders he was careful that when they flew it wasn’t too fast and it gave Steve time to adjust. After Steve had gotten himself and his shield though he turned around and waited for the other two.

Namor flew back down to Jim who struggled to stand. Namor helped him up and said, “Put out the light Jim, I don’t need it to see where we are going.”

Jim was still pale and he looked for reassurance in Namor’s face. Namor didn’t know what else to tell him to make him trust that Namor wouldn’t leave him alone in the inky darkness. However Jim must have seen something because he said, "I’m ready when you are water rat.” He doused the flame.

*****

Later as they stood on the edge of the base they were about to infiltrate Namor turned to Steve.

“I apologize Captain. Though it pains me to say it I was wrong and your plan just may not get us all killed.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence Namor.” Steve said while rolling his eyes, then in a more solemn tone, “and thanks for the apology.” They were waiting for the right moment to strike when the guards changed shifts in a few moments. He didn’t realize just how much Jim and Namor’s words made him feel better about being a leader. He would strive to live up to being the best he could. Jim punched him on the shoulder and he looked over at the android.

“Aw Steve you can’t blame Subby. I think being a pessimistic asshole is an Atlantean trait.”

“I can still dunk you in that lake Jim if you annoy me enough.” Namor said without looking at the Human Torch.

Steve sighed, he loved these two men but sometimes they really grated on his nerves, “Settle down boys, we got work to do and we can do this. Together.”

“As friends.” Jim supplied his face happy as he was getting some of his fire back in anticipation of the upcoming fight.

“No.” Namor said and the other two looked over at him, he raised an arched eyebrow but his smile was sincere as he spoke, “As brothers.”

Steve and Jim grinned back and then all three heroes faced forward as Steve said, “Ok Axis here we come.”

**Author's Note:**

> I needed an Invaders story where they are bonding for the first time and I just wanted them to comfort each other. These guys are just ride or die with each other and if anything happens to one of their team mates then all hell will break loose. I wanted to show them back in the beginning when Steve was unsure of his abilities since he was new at being Captain America, and Jim wasn't sure where he fit into the world, and Namor was opening up to someone for the first time rather than hiding his emotions away. My first Invaders fic and I hope I didnt mess up too badly. As always comments and kudos are welcome!


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